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The sound of the summons had her cracking all five eyelids and grinning in gleeful anticipation. A new challenger, a glorious fight. A chance to add to her ever-growing pile of loot, should the wannabe hero prove to be a member of the usual weak lot. Her tiny fae feet didn't so much dance over the ground as glide as she darted through the entry of her cave, toward the ancient stone circle that marked the Arena.

As with most fae, she looked fragile at a glance but had cat-like reflexes and physical strength that would make even the strongest mortals look like toddlers trying to lift the swords of their fathers for the first time.

She chuckled when she beheld the boy awaiting a duel. He dressed in the finest clothes though his weapons had seen little use. A nobleman's son seeking a bit of a thrill, possibly even a lesser son of the king. Little practical knowledge of battle and plenty of riches that were hers for the taking.

This would be fun.

She started with her usual antics. Feint left and strike right, aim for a couple of critical blows right from the start. She had her opponent right where she wanted him. She was going to walk away from this fight simply dripping with gold...

Until he cheated.

Bleeding on the ground one moment, gone the next. Before she could whip her head, he was there in her face, splashing her with a weakening potion that left her barely able to move.

He was using potions the likes of which she'd never seen, growing his muscles at an impossible rate and striking with a speed even a demigod would have a hard time matching.

For the first time in her life, Lupine was genuinely afraid she might lose.

Then again, she was fae. She had a few tricks of her own.

From her mother came the ability to reset time, for the price of a memory. Lupine always tried to choose something she could easily regain or something she didn't honestly care to ever remember. Today, she chose the sight of dew on the lupinus bushes outside her front door after a recent rain. She would see those bushes every day for the rest of her considerable lifespan. The memory was worth the advantage.

She was back in that moment just before her opponent consumed his first potion. She was in front of him...and then she was not. A single critical blow to the heart had him lying broken and bleeding on the ground before his body shimmered and disappeared, leaving sacks of gold and precious gems.

She was the victor and the spoils were indeed fine but she was hurt and weak. She clutched her winnings close to her body and made for home as quickly as she could.

She could transform, she knew. With a thought of will, she could take her dragon form and intimidate any foe foolish enough to approach sixty feet of muscle with fangs and claws.

Except her dragon form was not a ferocious beast out of nightmare. Her size was impressive enough but her coloring was soothing pastels, her face a cute and squishable blob of chibi proportions. She hated cute and could not stand the thought of Coin laughing at her.

Why couldn't she look more like Dello. Her father was as intimidating as he was impressive in battle. Mortals quaked in fear at the mere mention of his name and even immortals were hesitant to get on his bad side.

He might have had his name entered in the Ultimate Hall of Fame many years ago if not for Minael's influence.

Lupine's relationship with her mother was complicated, to say the least. Minael was the worst kind of thief, stealing memories and gorging herself on their contents. The fairy had delved into Dello's memories many times, causing the dragon to forget secrets that might have made him all-powerful...and capable of rising above her influence. Minael always arranged it so Dello would fall in love with her the moment he saw her, as if seeing her for the first time. Lupine had tried to help her father overcome the curse many times, only to see the dragon bow his head in submission when his fae queen tricked him once again.

The fact that she'd needed Minael's help to win today's fight wasn't exactly putting her in a rosy mood.

She switched a few road signs and changed the wing colors of a few pixies. She couldn't resist these harmless pranks as she flitted from one grove to the next on her way home. Mischief was as much a part of her nature as love of gold.

She paused at the entry to her cave, admiring the way the dew sparkled on the lupinus bushes just outside her front door. She adored the pale moon-bright flowers and couldn't recall a time she had ever seen them looking so lovely. It must have rained in the night.

She knew something was wrong as soon as she stepped over the threshold. Something vibrated in her very core, a tuning fork for theft.

A creature was lurking in her lair, rummaging through her precious hoard.

With a savage roar, she charged the central hall, blade drawn. A subtle flick of the wrist had Coin uncoiling from his place near the entry. One of many acquired treasures, he was an invaluable companion as dedicated to protecting the hoard as she was.

Though it looked like a small cave on the outside, Lupine's lair was in fact a complicated hive of tunnels with seven separate vaults for her many treasures. Visiting heroes never suspected that a lesser villain would lay claim to such vast riches...which is why so few bothered trying to invade. Those brave (or foolish) enough to make the attempt were lucky to make it out with more than a handful of coins...if they made it out at all.

This intruder proved to be no more than a lost mole who had tunneled a little too far from his home burrow and landed in a place so bright and vast that he'd been stunned into an utter stupor. Lupine smirked. The poor, dumb creature couldn't even see the treasure surrounding him. Using a simple air spell, she lifted the terrified rodent into the air and made her way to the entry. She deposited him gently at the base of a massive oak. Smelling the welcome warm dampness of the underground, he zipped into a pocket of dirt and out of sight.

Lupine headed to the main vault, settling comfortably onto the throne she'd made out of all her most sparkly bits of treasure. Coin scratched around in his own golden bed until he'd settled the coins he so cherished into a more comfortable configuration.

Lupine could already feel her regenerative abilities healing the hurts of her last battle. She closed her eyes with a satisfied hum but kept her ears open for the call of the next challenger that would send her flitting down to the ancient circle of stones.

relationships

Dello

[ father ]

Lupine's father, formerly an expressive and loving dragon but grew very distant and quiet due to the constant "reset" activation used by Minael. Despite that, he dearly treasures Lupine and Mina very much.

Minael

[ Mother ]

A sprightly fairy who is known as the "Golden Bell". Her ability is to reset time in exchange of losing her memories except everyone around her. It puts a strain on Dello and Mina's relationship but she always ends up falling in love with him all over again. Dotes on Lupine and often play with her.

Coin

[ acquired companion ]

A cat who has an obsession with gold coins. He wandered into Lupine's gold pile and decided to live in her cave as he found her not as intimidating than the usual dragons.